Those who killed raccoon are law-breaking morons

Posted: Saturday, January 10, 2004

Jan. 6 letters by Jeff Carter and John Preves imply a concern for animal rights means a disdain for human rights. They portray those outraged at the cruel and senseless killing of a raccoon as in need of reality medication and as having way too much free time. These remarks are trite and feeble attempts to trivialize and criticize animal rights.

Animal rights supporters do not favor animal rights over human rights, as the letters suggest. Animal rights activists attempt to end cruelty in every form, but focus on animal rights. Simply because we are outraged about this animal's murder does not mean we are not equally outraged at human murder. Rather, we as animal rights supporters see the link between cruelty to humans and cruelty to animals. For example, most mass murderers begin by killing animals, and many domestic violence offenders often kill the family pet.

The basic problem in this case is the frat brothers in Phi Kappa Psi killed a raccoon outside the confines of the laws set up to enforce animal rights (Code 16-12-4). They did not call an animal control officer when they saw this raccoon; rather, they cruelly beat it with a pylon and shot it with a pellet gun. Laws exist to ensure the humane killing of rabid animals, and these frat brothers broke those laws. I agree these perpetrators are morons, but they are also law-breaking morons and should be prosecuted for their idiotic actions.